


Sticking to the plan

by Saphira404



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Revenge, Secret Crush, Sess Kagu weekend 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 12:50:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23945152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saphira404/pseuds/Saphira404
Summary: AU He had a plan to fulfill, and she was a weakness he could not afford. What happens when the temptation is too strong to resist? Small fic in honor of the Sess/Kagu weekend challenge.
Relationships: Kagura/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 24





	1. Peach/Crush

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: After a one year hiatus from the fanfiction world, I I decided to dip my toes back in fanfic writing and for the first time I’m taking part in the Sess/Kagura weekend challenge from Tumblr. 
> 
> I hope you and yours are safe in these difficult times, and I hope this three part short fic will offer you some distraction.

Ice King. A strange nickname for a high school student, but one he had earned rightfully. As Sesshoumaru Tashio walked the halls of his school he barely paid attention to all the kids clearing a path for him from the front doors to the parking lot. Some shuddered in discomfort upon accidentally meeting his cold amber gaze, others whispered furiously; probably spreading some baseless rumor about him murdering one of the kids from school and burying him in his family’s garden. The perpetual cold mask he wore often left his thoughts and deeds to interpretation. Not that he cared much about what others thought about him, particularly not at his school. All the people there were mindless fools. Besides attending classes was a waste of his time. He already knew what he was going to be “when he grew up”.

He had already planned out his entire life. He had a solid fool-proof plan that would enable him to follow in his father’s footsteps and surpass him in all aspects. Graduate from high school. Go to college. Get a degree in business. Go to law school. Take over the family business from the old man. Impose the law firm as number one in the land. Friends, girlfriends were just useless distractions from his goals, so he had never sought out either. 

His train of thought stopped suddenly. Some movement at the other end of the parking lot had caught his attention. From his spot his sensitive nose could smell the bitter, faintly sweet scent that he had come to associate with her.

He knew he was supposed to get in his car and drive away, but he could not. Like a siren she called to him and in just a few strides he was heading towards her.

Kagura Kagewaki. If he was ice, she was a blazing inferno. She always walked with her head held high and a smirk at the corner of her trademark red lips. As always she had shortened her uniform skirt to inches above the mandated length, displaying her toned legs, result of her passion for dancing. Not that the strict school disciplinarians would ever point out to her the many violations to the code of conduct. Her father was the richest real estate tycoon of the city and she had no issue flaunting her wealth and privilege in people’s faces. So she did as she pleased, damned the consequences. Sesshoumaru often wondered what it would be like living like this. It was simply unthinkable for someone like him who never undertook an action without measuring its impact on his life plan.

He envied her as much as he craved her. Sure, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but a part of him thought it was the sensation of ultimate confidence and freedom that she exuded that attracted her most to him. What would it be like to skip school and run around town living life a thousand miles an hour? Sometimes he wished he could break the mold he was stuck into and join her care-free lifestyle.

Kagura took a long drag on the pink-tinged cigarette perched between two of her slender fingers. Was it him, or did her smile widen as she saw him approaching. She blew a puff of smoke in his face as soon as he stopped close to her. Peach flavored cigarette. He knew because he had searched long and hard for the particular brand of nicotine she smoked. Faintly sweet, reminiscent of a sun-ripened fruit.

“Last time I checked, smoking on school property is forbidden.” He batted away the smoke. Despite the sweet undertone, it was still acrid and his inu youkai sense of smell did not enjoy the assault. 

“Oh now you’re a pro at enforcing the school code of conduct?” She chuckled. “News flash, half the kids here think your murdered your half-brother and buried him somewhere.”

He had heard that ludicrous rumor. Little did people know their father had shipped the troubled Inuyasha to some boarding school to teach him discipline. Sesshoumaru did not care much about his younger half brother’s love life, but he knew his issues were related to some human he had been dating on and off for some time. The girl apparently could not fully accept Inuyasha and his youkai half, which strained their relationship and in turn wrecked havoc on the half-demon’s self-esteem. Unlike his hanyou half-sibling Sesshoumaru avoided romantic entanglements and stayed on the straight and narrow. These he knew were the surest ways to inherit the family business. That was precisely why he would never dare act on his feelings for the enticing wind witch.

Kagura blew another smoke donut towards him. In response he sent her a glare before he caught himself. She had the ability to make him lose his composure like no other.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. You’ll be fine.” She interrupted herself to take another long drag of her cigarette. “Youkai can’t get cancer so this second-hand smoke won’t kill you.”

“As refined as ever Kagura. In case you haven’t noticed, your car is in my way.” He pointed toward the fiery red convertible obstructing the parking lot exit. Rarely had he been more grateful for someone’s reckless driving. Any excuse to talk to Kagura was a good one.

“You know, you’re not as bright as you think you are.” She stared at him straight in the eyes. Anyone who dared to try to do the same, including their teachers would have been reduced to a mass of quivering nerves. Not Kagura, she just smirked and smoked her pink cigarette. If he could he would have adored her even more in this moment.

Her words then registered. What did she mean by that? He worried she had seen through him. Could she know his true feelings towards her?

“There’s another perfectly fine exit that way.” She pointed to the other end of the lot. The one everyone had been using in fear of asking the infamous Kagura to move her car.

“Why should this Sesshoumaru go out of my way to go around you?”

She took one more puff on her cigarette before answering. “Oh Sesshoumaru, you don’t need an excuse if you want to come talk to me.”

His heart skipped a beat at her words. This conversation had gone on for too long. He needed to cut it short before Kagura picked apart more of him.

“Just remove your car.” He was glad to have managed to keep his voice even and calm; nothing to betray his true feelings for her. His cold mask still plastered on his face, he walked away.

He was already halfway to his car when he heard her call to him. Despite himself, he chanced a glance back towards her.

“Don’t worry Sesshy dear, I’ll get out of your way.” 

How he wished she could keep that promise. To his horrific delight he routinely ran into Kagura all over school despite making efforts to see her as little as possible. He had even gone as far as pulling strings to change their class schedules to prevent having to sit for hours in the same room as her. Despite this he found himself consistently in the orbit of the wind sorceress as if she had cast a spell on him. 

She flicked her cigarette on the ground and stomped on the still smoking peach colored stick. It took all of his self-control to turn back around and continue walking.

He suddenly felt a light breeze lifting his long hair and tickle the back of his neck. This time his resolve stayed strong and he did not turn to face the person he knew to be responsible for this light teasing. The wind fluttered with her sultry laugh and the air faintly smelled of smoke and ripe peaches. He had never wanted to take a bite of a forbidden fruit so bad in his life. Not that he would ever give in to that temptation. People were right. He was an unfeeling bastard with a heart made of ice.

Yet, Kagura was the only one able to make his heart thaw, but she would never know. She could never know. He was destined for greatness and a weakness such as her was not something he could afford.

To be continued…

A/N: Check back tomorrow to find out what happens next. Will Sesshoumaru give in to temptation? As a hint the next prompt is light green/remember. Looking forward to your reviews and your thoughts.


	2. Light green/Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading the first chapter. Glad to see so many enjoyed my first foray back into fanfiction. Special thanks for the kudos and to the reviewers:
> 
> KimiWitch  
> Shespitsfire

She was wearing a green long sleeved high-waisted dress in some light material that flowed as she walked and he wondered if she was using her wind to make it sway in such an enticing way. As she strode through the restaurant, she was quite a vision. A crimson eyed demoness dressed in green. Shimmering green amethyst and red rubies. A light green scarf was tied around her neck in some elaborate bow. It seemed to him like an invitation to unwrap the tantalizing present that she was. Her hair was gathered in her trademark bun with her usual feathers tucked in her hair band. He had not expected for her to still look so similar despite the years that had gone by. 

Her red lips stretched into a smile once she spotted him at the back of the restaurant and quickly made her way towards him.

“Sesshoumaru, thanks for meeting me here.” Kagura slid in the chair across from him.

The last time they had seen each other had been their high school graduation close to a decade ago. Since then he had been true to his word and had kept away from her. He had followed through with his plan and had graduated college top of his class then went on to law school at his father’s alma mater, and finally went to work in the family’s law firm. Diligently he had built up an impressive resume as a shark specialized in corporate law. Vicious mergers and acquisitions that left the opposing party annihilated were his specialty.

While Sesshoumaru had fulfilled his promise, Kagura had not. Once upon a time he had envied the sense of freedom she exuded, but now ten years later he knew better. While he had thought himself the only prisoner of fate he now knew that despite her devil may care persona she had not been faring any better than he was. Her rebellious attitude was a simple façade, a result of the circumstances she was stuck in.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure you would agree to come.” She chuckled and took a deep drink from the glass of water some overzealous waiter had set in front of Sesshoumaru as he waited for Kagura. He noticed the slight trembling of her hands, but did not comment on it.

He was sad to note that her light had dimmed. Maybe she had been forced to grow up too fast. Unlike their other classmates she had not gone to college. The ink on their high school diplomas had barely been dried that her father had bargained his older daughter to save his business. A stock market crash caused real estate prices to plummet and had left her family’s finances gutted. Kagura’s father had married her off to one of his closest business partners, a hanyou Sesshoumaru knew to be her elder by two decades. In exchange the Kagewaki family’s company had been financially salvaged by Naraku Onigumo; the man Kagura had been forced to marry.

“You told my secretary you wanted to discuss an opportunity with me. Our law firm is always opened to new business.”

She made a small grimace and nervously tapped her fingers on the table. It was odd to him to see the woman he remembered as overly confident being this jumpy. He took her nervousness for a need of a nicotine fix.

“I can ask them for an ashtray. I have spent enough money in this establishment that they will allow any transgressions.” Indoors smoking had been unlawful for many years, but he knew the restaurant would make an exception for one of their most loyal patrons.

Kagura raised an eyebrow in question.

“Do you not wish to smoke one of your infernal peach flavored cigarettes?” 

He asked her, earning a throaty laugh in return.

“Oh you remember that? It’s been ages since I smoked one of those. They tasted disgusting and I actually hated them, but at the time they fit with the image of me I tried to project.” She smiled wistfully making her eyes sparkle in mischief and for a few precious instants he was transported back to who they once were. 

"I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I remember how you were always staring at me when we were kids." She commented slyly once she noticed the uncomfortable look on his face.

“Everyone stared at you. Your outrageous behavior made sure to grab everyone's attention.” He retorted evenly.

“Maybe, but your gaze, it was different.”

Funny, he had not predicted she would still be able to make his heartbeat speed up with a few words. That unnerved him. He was a grown man, not a lovesick teenager. Disgusting. The waiter stopped by their table to refill the glass of water Kagura had drained; breaking their conversation. Sesshoumaru made a note to give the young human a generous tip.

“I have an appointment in less than an hour. Speak now.” His curt order earned him another grimace from the wind sorceress. 

“It’s not business I wish to discuss per say. I need your help… on a personal matter.” She nervously traced her finger over the rim of her glass, struggling to speak the words.

“Speak.” He urged her. He wanted to get this meeting over with. Bad enough that he was experiencing a resurfacing of his deeply buried feelings for Kagura; he would be mortified if she found out how he still felt about her. The best course of action was to get away and as far from her as possible. 

“I want a divorce, but my husband won’t grant me one.” She stopped fidgeting and stared straight into Sesshoumaru’s eyes. She was still one of the few people able to do so without faltering. 

“I fail to see how this is any of this Sesshoumaru’s concern.” He was proud of himself for having kept an even voice. A faint trace of hope swelled in his chest. Kagura being divorced opened a world of possibilities. Not that he ever intended to capitalize on them. Throughout the years there had been a few women in his life. They had been mere conveniences to sate his useless lust. None of them had been able to pierce his heart and make him feel as weak and vulnerable as Kagura did. The woman was a true danger.

“I need your business acumen and a trustworthy lawyer. After years of working in the shadows I’ve finally managed to win over the business manager who works for my husband Naraku.” She grimaced saying that last bit. “He’s revealed to me that Naraku has been involved in some shady deals that have gone bust, and now his company is facing financial ruin. Soon enough he will have to resort to the same method dear old dad used back in the day and find a quick influx of cash. That’s when a company named Kaze Inc. will invest in Naraku’s company until they become a major shareholder. Once Kaze takes over they will be able to twist Naraku’s arm and force him to do as I wish. He will either grant me my freedom or face losing his company.”

“I guess that you are the owner of Kaze?”

“Yes. With the help of my sister I squirrelled away all the money I got from dad when he died last year and sold off as much real estate assets as I could without Naraku detecting a thing.” The emotionless tone in which she spoke about her father’s death let Sesshoumaru know that she had not reconciled with him over her forced marriage. 

“Now that I have the financial means to buy my freedom, I just need your help to make it happen. Naraku doesn’t trust easily. If some random company came and offered him such a deal, he’d suspect something was wrong and would turn it down. In truth, I need a credible, reliable law firm to vouch for Kaze Inc. and help make the transactions go smoothly.”

Sesshoumaru knew laws and the business world like the back of his hand. He could help Kagura make this deal happen, but he would not. Despite his recent financial troubles, her husband was not only a well-known businessman, but also a former high representative in the national legislature. Naraku was an influential man that Sesshoumaru could not afford to alienate; especially not now. Izayoi, his human step-mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. Sesshoumaru knew it was only a matter of time until his father decided to name his heir and take a backseat to the business so that he could take care of his ill wife. Sesshoumaru’s victory was within reach, but still not a foregone conclusion. This was the last stretch. He could not do anything to jeopardize fulfilling his plan when he was so close to realizing all the ambitions he had ever had. 

“I cannot help you.” He decided to be honest with Kagura, no need to drag this longer than was necessary. He needed to get out of there fast. The fact that he had wavered before coming to this decision was a sign that the wind sorceress was still as dangerous to him as ever. Having kept his distances from her for the past decade had enabled him to push all thoughts of Kagura to the recesses of his mind and heart. He had been able to focus solely on his plan, up until this moment. He knew he should never have accepted her invitation that day, but his weakness and curiosity had gotten the better of him. He wanted to see her and he wanted to know why after all these years she had sought him out. 

“Cannot, or will not?” She retorted. “I know that you can. I asked around and you’re the best corporate lawyer around.” She sighed, she had come so far and would not give up this easily. “I promise you, your firm and yourself will be generously compensated for this work.” 

“Money is not the issue. We are not interested.” 

Speaking these words caused a pinch in his heart. A large part of him wanted nothing more than to help Kagura gain her freedom. Maybe then the sparkling would come back to the red eyes he had been fascinated with for so long. The dulled red of her gaze was a clear sign of her unhappy union. Seeing as she had fought and come up with such a plan to force her husband to grant her a divorce, Sesshoumaru could not help but be pleased to see the wind sorceress had retained some of her legendary spunk. He did not know Naraku, he had purposely avoided him so as not to be reminded of whom Kagura shared her bed with on a nightly basis, but from what he did know, the only thing Naraku actually cared about was his company. This led Sesshoumaru to believe that Kagura actually had a sound plan, one that could indeed convince her husband to grant her the divorce she so wanted. 

“You won’t even consider helping me.” She huffed, a note of hurt creeping in her voice. She paused to collect herself. “It’s not your fault but mine. I don’t know what I was thinking. Asking the Ice King for help. I must have been drunk on some nostalgia.” She hissed angrily. “I remember you being an unfeeling asshole back then. I don’t know why I imagined you’d be any different now.

In frustration she raised her hand to move her bangs out of her eyes. The action caused the sleeve of her light green dress to rise up. More color was uncovered. Instead of being enticing, the constellation of dark blue and green bruises along the creamy skin of her arm was revolting. For her youkai skin to still show such signs meant the attack on her must have been violent and recent. 

“Who did this?” Sesshoumaru growled taking in the partly healed bruising on Kagura’s arm. Blinding rage spread through him. Before he could control himself he raised his hand to reach for her. That caused her to lean back and away from his touch. 

“I’m pretty sure you can guess.” She spat bitterly.

She was right. He knew. He now understood why she would go through such lengths to get her divorce.

As he put in motion the various steps of his life plan he had at times wasted a few instants thinking about the wind demoness. In his many fantasies over the years she was happily married, not the victim of such grievous abuse. The former made it easier to accept that she and him could never be more than former classmates, the latter made him reconsider his stance on helping her.

She got up before he could attempt to make physical contact with her again. Now that she stood in profile the curves of her body retained his attention. She noticed his gaze and could not stop herself from running a hand over her slightly rounded center, cleverly concealed by the cut of her high-waisted dress.

Sesshoumaru’s stomach dropped. Not only was she married to another man, but she was pregnant with his child. He knew he was being ridiculous. She had been married for close to a decade, such an occurrence should not have shocked him so. What did sicken him was the fact that her husband would hurt her even as she was carrying his child. He growled faintly. His fingers itched to hold her and his lips ached to kiss her bruised skin.

“Don’t you fucking pity me.” She mistook the look on his face. “You don’t want to help me, fine, but I don’t need your pity.” Her crimson eyes flashed with determination and just for a moment he was reminded of the defiant headstrong girl he had fallen in love with all these years ago. The free bird he had so envied. “Just remain the stuck-up fucking coward you’ve always been.” She stomped away.

Her insults cut him, but he stayed rooted in place while his heart was raging inside his chest. He remembered his goal. He was so close to fulfilling his ambition. Inuyasha had come back from his boarding school a more responsible young man. No more the young hellion who had driven his parents mad, the hanyou was now married to his long-term human girlfriend who was a descendant of a miko family. Touga was not a fan of the woman’s pedigree, but considering he had himself married a penniless human, he had reluctantly accepted the union. Galvanized by his father’s support Inuyasha had stepped up to show his worth in the law firm. By becoming serious competition, he had forced his older brother to be even more of a perfect son. And perfect he had strived to be. No way would he ruin all his efforts for a beautiful ruby-eyed kaze youkai. Even if that made him a ‘stuck-up fucking coward’. 

He watched Kagura step outside the restaurant, her light green dress dancing as she went. Still he remembered his goal. He had held on to his ambition for so long, and refused to crack now. He would be found worthy by his father. He would inherit the company. He was willing to do what it took, even if it meant not helping the woman he had always had feelings for escape the living hell she had been stuck in. And feelings he still had. Being once again in Kagura’s orbit had brought back to the surface all the feelings he had ever had for her. 

He remembered how his heart would speed up upon seeing the all-knowing mocking grin she always threw his way when their eyes met in the school halls. He remembered the infuriating way in which with just a few words she was able to leave him naked and vulnerable as if she could read his thoughts and feelings. He remembered how with just one look in her sparkling ruby red eyes he was completely lost and left wanting so much more. For ten years he had not laid eyes on her and in a few minutes of conversation she had brought down the perfectly crafted walls around his heart. Leaving him exposed and questioning himself like a lovesick puppy.

His mind was racing. He asked himself why she had not left Naraku already and why she would need to resort to such a scheme to get a divorce. The Kagura he once knew would have kicked the hanyou in the balls and left him in the dust for daring to lay a finger on her. There had to be more that she had not shared with him, and he was dying to find out.

Sesshoumaru also wondered why after all these years and despite her vast financial resources, she had sought him out to help her. Him and none other. He could not help but interpret this as the fact that she must still feel something for him. What could be the consequences of his refusal? He knew he was the best at what he did. What if Kagura went to another lawyer who bungled things up? How would her husband react? If Naraku had gone as far as physically abuse his wife, his pregnant wife, what would he do if he found out she was trying to trick him. Could he resort to murder? 

Suddenly Sesshoumaru’s stomach sunk. He could not erase the irrational fear that if he let Kagura go, he would never see her again, and that prospect, it was much much worse than the idea of his life plan not being fulfilled.

He rushed after Kagura and managed to catch her just as she was about to slide into her car. Long gone was the fire engine red convertible of her youth. She was driving a classic dark colored luxury sedan.

“I think you’ve said all you wanted, or do you want to rub in my face the fact that you won’t help me?”

The angry frown between her brows bothered him, but he needed answers to some of his questions before he decided on what avenue to take. 

“Why did you come to me for help?”

His question took her aback. “I don’t know, because you’re good at what you do and I need someone I can trust.”

Her mention of trust made his heart squeeze. He trusted very few people and he knew her to be the same. 

“Tell me the truth.” He stepped closer to her and stared right in her eyes. 

“What do you want me to admit?” She nervously reached up to run her fingers along her scarf accidentally loosening the shimmering green fabric a bit. 

Sesshoumaru leaned closer, his golden amber eyes staring straight in her crimson orbs, unnerving her. They had come this far; yet he wanted her to open up fully.

“The truth?” She scoffed. “Well, I still think about you and I remember the connection we shared back in the day and thought you did too… I guess that I hoped you would agree to help me for that reason. There I said it, are you happy? Now can I go? I think I’ve been embarrassed enough for one day.” 

She turned to her side, hoping to hide the tears of anger and frustration pooling in her eyes. He grabbed her scarf to turn her face back towards him, accidentally undoing the pretty bow. The light green fabric fell away, revealing more bruises, even more violent than the ones on her arm. It looked as if a hand had wrapped around her soft throat to choke her. She snatched back the scarf and quickly tied it back. She hated that he got to see her in such a vulnerable state.

“Kagura.”

The raw emotion in his voice shattered her heart. She felt embarrassed, sad and angry to appear so weak in front of him. She hated it. She wished she was still the headstrong confident teenager who loved driving him crazy just to catch a glimpse of the young man beneath the ice façade. 

None of them spoke for a long while. They stared silently in each other’s eyes. She noticed then the muted need in his eyes and without letting either of them think about the possible consequences she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his lips. It took him a long time to respond, but when he did he unleashed the passion he had bottled up for so many years. They kissed long and hard, pouring the feelings they had each hid for so long.

“I've been wanting to do that for so long.” She chuckled against his lips and dropped her arms from his neck. “Well, I guess we were fated to have our first kiss in a parking lot.”

He briefly pressed his face to the side of her neck and took a deep breath, filling up on her scent. A mix of her natural fragrance and trace hints of her peach flavored perfume. The sweetness not hindered by the nicotine stench that had followed her years ago. He wanted nothing more than to nibble on her neck at this precise moment without a care about where they currently stood or how the action could complicate their current relationship. A slight hum of appreciation escaped his throat, she took it as a silent request for more information. She leaned back to look him in the eyes. 

“That day when we were in the school parking lot and you asked me to move my car. I thought you were going to kiss me. I wanted you to kiss me, and I knew you wanted it too.” She cupped his face and trailed the lower stripe on his cheek with a delicate thumb. Had he less self-control he would have shivered in pleasure.

“This Sesshoumaru would not have brought my lips anywhere near yours. You stank of peach cigarettes.” 

She threw her head back and laughed. He cracked a smile, it was good to see this playful side of him once again. Only she could make his emotions shift and change so fast. 

“Send all the documents you have to me. Whatever Naraku is involved in we will uncover. We will use every ounce of leverage we can to pressure him to give you your freedom.”

“So you’ll help me?” She asked hope in her voice.

“Yes.”

“Thank you Sesshou.” She gave him another kiss. This one longer, taking the time to savor his lips, to taste his tongue. Their bodies leaned into one another. 

“I have to go.” She reluctantly broke their embrace. “If I’m not back before he’s home, Naraku won’t be pleased.” 

“It won’t be for long.” Sesshoumaru gave her body one last comforting squeeze then slowly dragged his hands down her body. Silently memorizing every curve.

“Yes.” She nodded in assent and climbed in her car. 

“Call me should you need anything.” He told her and meant it. Now that he had agreed to help her, he would do his utmost to keep her safe. 

Despite the change of wheels, Kagura was still as reckless a driver as she was during her teenaged year. She revved up the engine of her sedan and throwing one last wave to Sesshoumaru over her shoulder, she sped away. 

He knew he would remember this moment forever. Kagura in her light green dress, looking up at him with trust and dare he hope love. Kagura opening her heart to dare spill her long hidden desire from him. Her lips meeting his in an overdue kiss. 

He had reached a turning point in his life. For the first time he was undertaking an action that could threaten his life plan, but at the precise moment he could not bring himself to care. He was now eager to put his new plan into motion. He was going to annihilate Naraku and make him regret ever laying his hands let alone his eyes on Kagura. 

Her car turned a corner and disappeared from view. Little did he know this was going to be the last time he would ever see her sedan barreling through town. Years later, knowing what awaited her at home, he still wished he had not let her drive away from him. That particular failure would leave him with a bitter taste he would remember for the rest of his life.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Plenty of angsty drama and a drizzle of hurt/comfort. Check back tomorrow to find out how everything will be resolved. Thanks again for reading and I look forward to your thoughts.


	3. Silver/Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Free day so I chose freedom as the theme. This will be a long emotional ride, so get ready!
> 
> Thanks for reading the previous chapters and special thanks to the reviewers:  
> KiwiWitch  
> Faaabiii  
> Shespitsfire

Sesshoumaru walked down the dark empty hallway of his home. As a youkai of his stature, he did not need much sleep. This left him with long hours to think deep into the night, and as often Kagura was prevalent in his mind. It had been years since the fateful day they had reunited and shared a few kisses in a parking lot. On nights such as these when sleep eluded him he often wondered what he could have done differently to spare them such heartache and loss. He remembered then what transpired mere hours after he and Kagura had parted ways.

It had all started with a phone call in the middle of the night. 

As the lawyer to some of the richest people in the country, getting phone calls at three in the morning was not unusual for Sesshoumaru. He rolled over in bed, turned on the side lamp and picked up the ringing phone. The voice on the other end of the line was the last person he could have expected.

"Sesshoumaru... “ Just hearing the panic in Kagura’s voice removed all traces of sleep from his body. “Naraku… he found out about my plan..."

He heard a loud crashing noise behind her. He swore to himself that if the hanyou had laid a finger on Kagura, he would kill him with his bare hands.

"Find refuge somewhere safe. I'm on my way."

Once he gave his instructions he hung up. He did not waste time telling her comforting platitudes preferring instead to actually do something. He quickly rushed out of his condo and drove to Naraku and Kagura’s house. He knew exactly where their mansion was. He might have kept his distance from the Onigumo couple these past years, but that did not mean that he did not know much about them, or rather about Kagura particularly.

The second he arrived, he knew something had gone terribly wrong. He spied an array of police cars parked haphazardly in front of the wrought iron gates. Their colorful flashing lights a contrast to the dark night sky. His heart skipped a beat once he saw an ambulance was amongst the emergency response vehicles. Kagura’s bruised skin and panicked voice replayed in his head, and in that moment he regretted letting her drive away from him and back to her abusive husband.

Throughout history a silver bullet had been known as an effective mean to kill all kinds of creatures, and youkai were no exception. Especially when they received a gunshot wound to the heart. In the end they had not needed to go through with Kagura’s elaborate plan to ruin Naraku. The silver bullet she had shot through his heart had put an end to all her machinations. Unbeknownst to the wind sorceress her husband had suspected she was up to something and was having her followed. As soon as she had arrived home he had confronted her about her meeting with Sesshoumaru and the kisses they had shared. Their argument had escalated to violence, and when Naraku’s usual abuse had turned to threats on her life and promises to see Sesshoumaru dead as well, Kagura knew she had to stop her husband once and for all, by any means necessary. A well-aimed tentacle had crushed her fan to pieces, but the wind sorceress was not above using more human weapons to defend herself. After all, sometimes a silver bullet could be more effective than a wind blade. 

Despite driving like a fiend, Sesshoumaru had made it too late to Kagura and Naraku’s house. Some concerned neighbor had called the authorities after hearing a gun go off and within minutes the police was on the scene. Sesshoumaru had arrived just in time to see a blood splattered Kagura in handcuffs being pushed in a police car then driven away to a holding cell at the police station. The one phone call she had been allowed had gone to the one person she hoped she could count on for help. To her pleasure, Sesshoumaru had gone above and beyond her expectations. 

Criminal law was not his domain, but Sesshoumaru had acquaintances in high and low places enabling him to assemble a legal dream team backed up by the best private investigator. Kagura’s assets had been frozen pending the investigation, so he had footed the bill of her team and made sure she was made as comfortable as possible while she was held in jail, awaiting her trial. A special gift to a couple influent people in the justice department made sure her trial was moved up. Considering her delicate condition, he wanted to get Kagura out of her holding cell as quickly as possible. This of course was in the interest of the Ministry, quickly solving the murder of a well-known businessman and rendering justice would be best in the eyes of public opinion. Sesshoumaru had spared no expenses to ensure Kagura’s defense and she had reassured him she would pay him back, and he knew she meant it. Never would Kagura let herself be beholden to a man.

While the two of them had found an understanding, which had brought them closer than ever, not everyone was pleased. Touga Tashio had not wanted his son to become involved in such a toxic murder case and attract negative attention to their firm. He could not understand where this sudden passion came to protect the wind sorceress. He had therefore done the one thing he knew was best for his family. Do his utmost to create a wedge between his son and the young woman he had become obsessed with. 

“Why are you doing this Sesshoumaru? This isn’t like you. Bringing shame to this family.” 

Upset by his son’s behavior, Touga had summoned Sesshoumaru to his office to talk some sense into his eldest son. At the time he would rather be focusing on the health of his wife, so having to deal with the sudden rebellious streak of his once perfect Sesshoumaru unnerved him. 

Sesshoumaru did not bother sitting on the chair opposite his father’s desk. He simply picked up the newspaper the old man had thrown towards him and scanned an article highlighting the fact that their law firm had taken the infamous Kagura Kagewaki Onigumo as a client. 

“Do you not usually relish when the press covers the case of one of our clients?” He threw back the newspaper on his father’s desk.

“I am not in the mood for such foolishness, son.”

Sesshoumaru noticed his father’s tiredness and blood shot eyes. Izayoi was about to start her chemotherapy treatment after undergoing a grueling surgery. Looking after her, running the law firm and wavering the scandal Sesshoumaru was now immersed in were running him ragged. 

“I told you I will represent Kagura and I will make sure she is acquitted.” 

“You give me no choice.” Touga sighed in disappointment. “I had plans to step back and name you managing partner of the firm, but I am now reevaluating if you are fit for the task… If you were to give up on the wind sorceress and put this whole sordid business behind you, then I may change my mind.”

Sesshoumaru carefully considered his father’s threat. After all it was what he had worked for his whole life. The fulfillment of the life plan he had diligently worked on for years. But how could he give up on Kagura? Ten years ago he had refused to act on his feelings for her, leaving her and all thoughts of her behind. When she had been forced to marry Naraku he had not lifted a finger despite in his heart knowing full well marrying the hanyou was not her wish. For years she had let everyone know that her post high school plan had been to travel the world as free as the wind. In some of his adolescent daydreams he had accompanied her on that trip around the world. He had let her down in the past, and to his shame had almost done so once again when she had swallowed her pride and approached him for help. Thankfully he had seen the errors of his ways and had sworn to help her. He still regretted his lack of decisiveness. If he had taken Kagura away from Naraku from the first she would not have almost been killed neither would she currently be sitting in a jail cell waiting to be tried for murder. He had promised to himself he would not waver anymore. It was time to make a new life plan, one that allowed him to have his heart’s true desire, Kagura.

“Do as you see fit father.”

With a respectful bow he took his leave, He had a standing appointment he did not want to miss. As soon as he closed the door to his father’s office he heard a loud crashing noise. He guessed that in a fit of rage Touga must have thrown the ornamental porcelain and silver vase Izayoi had gifted him on their first anniversary. For over thirty years it had been displayed on the older demon’s desk. Sesshoumaru knew his father would come to regret his uncontrolled action. Regret was an emotion Sesshoumaru himself had become all too accustomed to.

The bitter taste of regret tinged with rage had been most prevalent when while she had still been behind bars, awaiting her trial, Kagura had confessed to him about the horrific circumstances surrounding the conception of her child. If she had not already killed Naraku, Sesshoumaru knew then that he would have done it. 

He hated visiting Kagura, yet dutifully every 48 hours he made the trip to the edge of town and went through all the security screenings to go visit his client. The meeting rooms had just a table and two chairs. It could have looked as any cheap conference room except for the bars on the windows, the reinforced doors and the massive youkai standing guard to make sure they followed the security rules. The wind was meant to be free and seeing its mistress locked down hurt Sesshoumaru’s heart.

“How are you?” He longed to hold her hand, caress her cheek or kiss her lips, but physical contact with inmates was forbidden. 

“Doing okay, just have some back pain.” She absentmindedly ran her hand over the growing bulge of her stomach. She had never voiced it out loud, but Sesshoumaru knew she was terrified of the prospect of giving birth while imprisoned. That was not something he would allow to happen.

“I’ve been working on that statement you asked.”

She slid a legal pad towards him. He noticed she had filled up several pages with her writing. A part of him was eager to read it so as to find out what her life had been like before they reunited, but a much larger part was loath to read about her life with Naraku.

“I never told you how I came to marry Naraku.”

He flinched. “I never asked, I know the broad strokes.”

“It was either Kanna or me. Father was convinced the only way to seal his deal with Naraku was to give him one of his daughters. Kanna was fucking sixteen. No way was I going to let her be married off to some forty something hanyou, so I volunteered.” 

Sesshoumaru was appalled. He wanted to comment, but he stayed his mouth, he could tell Kagura had much on her mind.

“In the beginning, for the first couple of years the marriage wasn’t so bad. He didn’t care about me and let me do as I wished. I even got to travel some… but then I guess in his fucked up way he started having feelings for me. That’s when he started restricting my movements and telling me what to do, how to dress, what to eat. He wanted to control me fully, but I wouldn’t let him, so he started hitting me. After that, I tried to leave him, but he told me he’d just have dad give him Kanna instead. She’s my baby sister I couldn’t have her be stuck in that living hell. She’s not like me, she wouldn’t have fought back. She would’ve taken it until he killed her.” 

She paused as a shudder went through her. “These past few years we got into fights more often. Naraku was strong even for a hanyou, and I wasn’t always able to fight him back. He loved using his tentacles to restrain me, and when he knew that physical pain was not enough of a punishment, he would strip me naked and…” She choked. She wanted to tell Sesshoumaru all about what had happened to her. She needed him to know before he embarked on something that he would not be able to handle.

“You don’t have to talk about it.” He knew what she was about to confess and a part of him did not want to hear it. 

“I do. It helps me, in a way.” She sent him a wan smile. “Once father died I co-inherited the company with Kanna. I knew I would finally be able to get away without having to fear Naraku getting his hands on her. I offered to pay him back for all the money he ever gave dad in exchange of a divorce, but he refused. He said I was his most prized possession. That’s what he thought I was, a fucking possession he could do as he wanted with, in his fucked up mind I was his to control, to beat up, and even to rape.” 

A strangled sob escaped her throat. “He didn’t plan this.” She ran her hand over her stomach. “He tried to be careful, but sometimes he got too carried away. A few months ago I realized I was pregnant. I knew I needed to get out once and for all. He was enraged, accused me of getting pregnant on purpose. I guess he hated the thought of sharing me with another being. His attacks were increasing in violence, and I have no doubts he would have killed me had I not done something about it. Even knowing I would get locked up in here killing Naraku was worth it. The bastard got exactly what he fucking deserved. I just regret not doing it sooner.”

Sesshoumaru reached across the table to cradle Kagura’s hands in his. At the moment he could care less that he was violating jail rules. He felt the gaze of the guard fixing him, and Sesshoumaru turned back to send the youkai a frozen withering glare, silently daring him to prevent him from offering comfort to the hurting woman. The guard took a few steps back and leaned back towards the door, giving them as much privacy as possible.

Thinking about the years of violence Kagura had survived and seeing how despite this she had retained her strength and her courage awed him. As he had guessed, Naraku had done his best to extinguish Kagura, but he had failed. She had remained strong and brave and he admired and loved her all the more for it. Sesshoumaru then vowed he would do everything in his power to prove her actions were legitimate self-defense and would see her free once and for all. 

“Soon you will be free. I will make sure of it.” 

She sent him a small smile and squeezed his hands. “I know you will. I trust you.”

His determination had enraged Touga. In the end Sesshoumaru had turned down his father’s offer, refusing to give into his ultimatum. He had chosen Kagura over the fulfillment of his life long plan. How could he be scared of giving into his feelings and facing the consequences of his love for her when she had been so strong for so long. She had been right when she had called him a coward when they had first reunited. For too long he had been scared of straying from the path that he had set for himself, but no more. He was done letting indecisiveness and fear rule his actions. He would do as he wished and damn the consequences. 

He had never told a soul, but it had saddened him that his father had refused to consider naming him his heir once Kagura and the scandal she was trailing reared its head. He had wanted Touga to find him worthy for all the work he had put in over the years, regardless of the woman he had chosen to put everything on the line for. 

Touga’s incapacity to appreciate his worth was not a thought Sesshoumaru wanted to explore this instant. Thinking back on the trial and the many tribulations that he and Kagura had had to go through always made him maudlin. He shook his head, ridding his mind of such painful memories. 

There were many other things he would rather be thinking about in this present moment. A hint of silver caught his eyes, and before he could restrain it, a small smile crept at the corner of his lips. Often when they lay in bed, Kagura said his hair looked like spun silver. He had never noticed. Then again usually when they were in bed he was too busy staring at her. 

The only light in the room was the sliver of moonlight coming from the window, but his youkai senses enabled him to see properly in the darkness. He stared at the small body curled in a tight ball under the covers, dark silver wavy hair peeking from the light green blanket under which the little boy was buried. A warm feeling spread through Sesshoumaru’s chest. He guessed his wife was right. There was just something magnificent about silver hair in the moonlight. 

“If you wake them up, I will murder you. I’ve already buried one husband what’s one more?” The wind sorceress whispered to her husband upon tiptoeing in the children’s room. That Kagura could make such a joke showed how far she had come.

A jury may have found her ‘not guilty’ of murdering her husband due to self-defense, but the investigation and trial had imposed a toll on her. Being incarcerated while pregnant had been a hardship of its own, but the media delving into all aspects of her life and past to print any rumor they could find a hint of had affected her greatly. She had felt completely powerless. Being locked up she had not been able to answer to all these rumors, so she had had to watch in silence as a twisted version of her life had become front-page news. The ‘murdering wind witch’ had become a nickname bestowed on her by some tabloid. People became obsessed in learning more about the cold-blooded woman who had shot her husband clean through the heart. Sure, her legal team had managed to shut up the most vicious news outlets with threats of suing them for slender, but still cruel untrue rumors spread all over the internet. 

The tide of public opinion had only turned in Kagura’s favor after she had agreed to testify in graphic detail in open court about the abuse, physical, emotional and sexual she had suffered at the hands of her husband. The graphic pictures taken by the medical examiner’s team the day of her arrest had perfectly illustrated her testimony. Naraku’s secretary and some other employees had agreed to testify as well about the abuse they had been subjected to by the man known to many until then as a pillar of society. Kagura to this day did not know how Sesshoumaru had managed to convince these people to testify on her behalf, but she knew that their corroborating stories had been crucial in changing the opinion the jury and the public had of her. Overnight she had gone from the reviled ‘murdering wind witch’ to the poster woman for the fight against domestic abuse with the support of youkai women’s rights groups. It still bothered her that to this day an internet search could bring up some leaked pictures of her battered bruised body taken at the hospital at the time of her arrest. 

Sesshoumaru’s people were good and they had helped Kagura build her public persona and overhaul her media presence. Now years later, the ‘murdering wind witch’ was long forgotten. Profits from her real estate company had funded a charitable foundation known for the generosity of its proprietress. At least now articles written about the wind sorceress echoed the fantastic work her foundation was doing to help those in need. 

“The children will not wake up.” Sesshoumaru responded to his wife’s concerns. His gaze switched from his sleeping silver-haired son to the other bed where his daughter slept.

He had never voiced it aloud but before the birth of the little girl a question had plagued his mind. Loving Kagura was a given, but would he be able to love her child? A child conceived through an act of abject violence. A constant reminder of Kagura’s late husband; the monster who had almost put out her fire? When Kagura had given birth Sesshoumaru had been by her side. He had been one of the first ones to hold the squalling newborn. The second he had held the little girl in his arms all of these concerns had flown out the door. The tuff of black curls on her head and the light red colored unfocused eyes were all Kagura. How could he not love her too? 

He had feared that Kagura would not have as easy a time to accept the child considering the circumstances of her conception, but that had never happened. Kagura had never taken out her hatred of Naraku on the child she had given birth to. In fact she had never referred to the little girl as anything other than Sesshoumaru’s daughter. He had been honored when she had written his name as the father on the birth certificate. By then they had quietly married and Kagura had had her last name legally changed from Onigumo to Tashio; thus shedding what she had considered to be her last link to Naraku. 

His wife walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his back, breathing in his scent. She loved doing that. He had never asked her but he knew it was her way of seeking comfort and reassurance. Not that she would ever have to wonder. Only death would tear him apart from her now. 

“Just making sure Momo was sound asleep.”

Their daughter's name was Rin Tashio but the nickname Momo had stuck. Not only was she as sweet as her namesake fruit, but as she grew her eyes had remained peach colored, a couple shades different from her mother's ruby orbs. 

"Don't worry. Her tummy is all better." Kagura broke apart from him and lovingly hitched up the blankets higher on their daughter's thin shoulders. At almost six years old, she was growing much too fast to her parents’ liking. Kagura then switched side to gently push back a silver curl out of their son's closed eyes. Gin needed a haircut but his mother loved his wavy silver hair too much to chop it off. 

That sweet motherly side was not something Sesshoumaru would have expected to see in Kagura. Long gone was the brash hellion who had captured his heart so many years ago. Leaving behind a loving wife and doting mother. Not that he was much better, at only six and four years old both of their children knew how to wrap their two parents around theirs little fingers. 

“Alright, come back to bed. Let’s try to get some rest before the little monsters wake up. I’ve barely seen you all week because of that stupid case you were working on.” Kagura paused to press a quick kiss to her husband’s lips. “I thought being the boss meant you wouldn’t have to work so fucking much.” 

Her gentle teasing reminded him he indeed needed to spend some quality time with his family. Silently watching over them as they slept did not count. 

In the end Inuyasha had been embroiled in some salacious scandal of his own. This one with not as happy a resolution as the one Sesshoumaru and Kagura had found themselves in. Inuyasha’s wife Kikyou who had suffered from depression for a long time had committed suicide and tried and failed to kill her husband. Contrary to Kagura the human had not been well versed in all the ways to kill a hanyou. The poison she had hidden in their drinks had killed her almost instantly but had only incapacitated her husband. For hours, that felt to him more like centuries, Inuyasha had been pinned in place paralyzed next to Kikyou’s cooling corpse. He had been powerless to save her life. It had taken him a long time to recover from the trauma, and for years the hanyou was barely hanging on, managing the law firm had of course been out of the question.

Inuyasha had now recovered and in what his brother and sister-in law considered to be a strange twist the hanyou was now dating a young human named Kagome, the cousin of his deceased wife who happened to bear a strong resemblance to Kikyou.

While Inuyasha was reeling from his wife’s suicide and attempted murder, and their father was tending to the ailing Izayoi, Sesshoumaru had had no choice but to step up to keep the law firm afloat. The other directors had pressured Touga in letting his eldest son have the reigns. Spitefully, Sesshoumaru had considered refusing his father’s offer to take over the firm as he wanted to be no one’s second choice. It was his wife’s prompting that pushed him to look past his feelings of being unwanted and take the job he had always longed for. The job she knew he deserved and would excel at. Kagura had just announced to him that she was pregnant with their second child and he had been so over the moon that he could not have refused her anything at the time. Not that he usually could. The woman knew how to play him like a fiddle. 

He had thought she would be a weakness but the wind sorceress had been an inspiration of resilience and a source of strength. The way she had battled and overcome violence, pain and adversity humbled him and inspired him every day. With her support he had taken the firm to its best results. He had done so well that his father had had to grudgingly accept that Kagura and their children were good for his eldest son. 

“Since Momo is feeling better, we can take the kids out for lunch tomorrow and make a family outing out of it.” Sesshoumaru suggested. The stomach upset that had plagued their daughter had been the reason for his insomnia. He tended to be overprotective of his family.

“Great they’ll love it. We can try that Bhutanese restaurant I told you about then go to the movies to watch that dumb animated puppet movie Momo and Gin have been wanting to watch for weeks.” 

The past years had done wonders for Kagura. She had regained her confidence and daredevil side. Long gone was the boring sedan Naraku had picked for her. She had bought herself a beautiful red convertible that to Sesshoumaru’s concern she loved speeding around town in. At his suggestion she had purchased a matching fiery red van to drive the kids around. She shared the day-to-day operations of the real estate company and the foundation with her sister Kanna, leaving her some time to be with the kids and enroll in college classes. She was currently studying about geography to prepare for their travels. Each year, Sesshoumaru and she took a couple weeks off of work and they packed up their family to go on a trip. Kagura had the ambition of fulfilling her childhood dream of traveling the world. The kids being so young made the logistics of their yearly trips taxing, but Kagura was in no hurry, she knew she and Sesshoumaru had long years together ahead of them. More than enough time to travel all corners of the earth.

“Hum, talking about eating, I’m suddenly craving something delicious.” She smiled at her husband, her eyes suddenly burning in intensity.

He ran an appreciative hand down the length of her body covered in a silky silver nightgown, appreciating her curves and paying close attention to her swollen breasts and rounded belly. 

“You are insatiable.” He growled appreciatively. He just loved the effect of pregnancy hormones on her. 

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.” Her saucy reply caused a shiver of anticipated pleasure to run down his spine. She took him by the hand and dragged him back to their bed. They only had a few hours until the kids woke up and she intended to make full use of every single minute.

Sesshoumaru found himself following after her without any reservations. His thoughts about their past, his regrets, her pain, all was forgotten in this moment. All that mattered was Kagura and their family. Years ago he had elaborated a rigid plan to reach the goals he had set for himself, but it had taken a winding road full of bumps to get to where he belonged: the head of the family business, a father, and the husband to the most infuriating woman he had ever met in his life. He knew that with Kagura by his side he would spend the rest of his days drafting new plans for their happiness. 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed this short story. I know many of your were freaking out, but see they got their happy ending. Kagura is a warrior no way was I going to let Naraku murder her (at least not in my fanfiction) ;) Leave a review, I'm curious to see what you thought. I don't know when I will publish another fanfic, but stay tuned as I know I'm not quite done with Sesshoumaru/Kagura stories.
> 
> Happy Sess/Kagu weekend to all and stay safe!


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